1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in leveling devices for record playing turntables and a method of use therfore, and more particularly, to leveling devices for record playing turntables and a method of use which utilizes a technique for observing the level of a liquid in a peripheral section of a device in order to determine if the entire periphery of the record turntable is level.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
It has been well known that it is desirable, if not necessary, to insure complete leveling of a record playing turntable in order to obtain better music reproduction from a record used on that turntable and in order to reduce premature wear of the records. For example, it has been well established that when the record turntable is not completely level, the needle will tend to wear in the grooves of the record to a much greater degree and much more rapidly. This problem is particularly pronounced in the case of stereophonic records. Thus, when the record is rotating on a turntable which is not level, the needle may tend to wear one of the channels to a much greater extent than the other of the channels. This condition results in uneven reproduction of sound and unbalanced sound reproduction.
There have been several proposed devices in the prior art for use in attempting to obtain a leveling of the record playing disc. These devices rely primarily on a bubble located in a body of liquid contained within a small device to be placed on the surface of a record playing turntable. The device generally contains a hemispherical bubble-shaped cap disposed on a base and which is generally almost completely filled with a liquid such as water, except for a small air bubble contained therein. This device is then placed on the surface of a record and moved around the turntable in order to attempt to determine if all peripheral portions of that turntable are level.
This prior art device is not really effective in that it cannot really determine if one portion of the periphery of the turntable is level relative to another oppositely disposed portion of the turntable. Thus, this device can only determine if a small segement of the turntable itself is level. In most cases, it is desirable to measure the level of and determine whether or not the turntable is level by incrementally moving the turntable and determining if successive portions are level. This can be accomplished by slowly rotating the turntable with the hand and also incrementally moving the prior art level device. However, this prior art leveling device when moved at all, causes the liquid bubble to shift such that it does not give an accurate reading and some time is required for settling.
In addition to the above, the aforesaid prior art leveling device is also slow in use and not accurate. Moreover, and due to the fact that it cannot be positioned at the very center of the turntable because of the spindle, the device itself cannot determine proper leveling at the center of the turntable.